I’m still riding the high from Iowa’s walk-off win over Michigan last week, so let’s have some fun to kick off Week 5: a completely unscientific ranking of the retro logos from all 18 Big Ten teams. These are just my favorites, and yes, I’m leaning all the way into the weirdness.
At the bottom of the pile, Purdue lands at No. 16, with Northwestern right behind at No. 15.
The Wildcats’ look gets the harshest possible review: “Sleep paralysis demon.” Minnesota’s version gets bumped up one spot to No. 14 as a “Sleep paralysis demon with more character.”
Maryland checks in at No. 13 with a turtle as a running back that “will never work,” while Penn State’s simple lion-in-the-S barely edges out the rest at No. 12.
UCLA comes in at No. 11, looking like it belongs in a Berenstain Bears book, and Nebraska sits at No. 10, with Herbie Husker doing the work of reminding everyone how many people outside Nebraska care about their teams from the 90’s.
Washington grabs No. 9 with a classic old-school feel, from the serif W to the simple Huskie. Michigan is No. 8, held back only by the number of other schools using the “Grumpy Animal Wearing a sailor hat” style.
USC lands at No. 7 thanks to an iconic Trojan logo and the border wrap from U to C. Ohio State is No. 6, where the Buckeye leaf gives the letter mark just enough extra punch.
Wisconsin takes No. 5 because “Grumpy Animal Wearing a Sweater is better than a sailor hat.” Michigan State follows at No. 4, with Sparty high on the list because he looks like he’d kick my ass if I hadn’t.
Oregon reaches No. 3, combining that sailor-hat animal look with more action and a block O, plus a color scheme that really pops. Illinois is No. 2 and gets the simple label: “Instantly iconic.”
Iowa is No. 1, which feels obvious here - detailed, striking, and the kind of logo that immediately pulls you back in time.
Once the logo fun is out of the way, the week’s slate starts with some mid-major action on Thursday night: Western Kentucky at New Mexico State in Conference USA, and North Texas at Tulsa in the American. Friday brings Pittsburgh at Virginia Tech, but the bigger draw is Penn State at Northwestern after the Wildcats pushed Indiana to the wire last Friday. It will be Matt Campbell’s first road game in B1G, and it’s also the first game in the new Ryan Field.
Saturday’s biggest spotlight games start in the SEC with #7 Alabama at #16 Mississippi State. If College Gameday hadn’t gone to Iowa City, this would have been the destination.
Davis Wade Stadium should be loud all game long with the cowbells going. The morning slate also includes West Virginia at Iowa State, matching the Mountaineers’ offense against the Cyclones’ defense, plus UCF at #20 Houston in another Big XII matchup.
In the Big conference, Michigan at Minnesota brings the battle for the Little Brown Jug. The Gophers haven’t taken it since 2014, but they’re coming off a big win over Washington.
The Big Ten also has Michigan State at Wisconsin. The Badgers are riding momentum after knocking off then-#13 Penn State last Saturday in what may have saved Luke Fickell’s job. Now they get a chance to build on that before a three-week stretch at #23 UCLA, #18 USC, and at #14 Iowa.
And then there’s the game everyone in Iowa City will be watching: #5 Ohio State at #14 Iowa. College Gameday is coming to Iowa City for the first time in twenty years, and the memory of the last time is still fresh for anyone who was there. The Buckeyes look every bit as dangerous as the 2006 version, so Iowa’s win over Michigan has to serve as a confidence boost if the Hawkeyes want to do what Drew Tate and company couldn’t.
In the SEC, #8 Florida at #25 Missouri is one to circle. Florida’s offense is rolling after beating Ole Miss, but its defense is still just average, and Missouri gets the chance to slow down the climb in Columbia. There’s also #24 Kentucky at South Carolina, with the newly ranked Wildcats visiting a Shane Beamer group that could fall to 0-2 in SEC play with a difficult stretch still ahead.
Louisville’s loss to Wake Forest knocked the Cardinals out of the top 25, and Louisville at NC State gives Jeff Brohm a shot to get his team moving in the right direction and back into the national picture. The nightcap is Washington at #18 USC, with both teams coming off conference losses.
USC has the more urgent need here; another defeat would likely wipe out any playoff hopes. Washington, meanwhile, is playing with house money.
In Other News...
Iowas Upset Shot Vs Ohio State May Come Down To These Hawkeyes
The buildup to Iowas matchup with Ohio State has naturally centered on how the Hawkeyes can keep the Buckeyes uncomfortable long enough to make it a game. A lot of that conversation starts with Iowas own playmakers, from DJ Vonnahme to Braeden Jackson and Anthony Hawkins, because if the Hawkeyes are going to threaten an upset, it likely has to come from an offense that can do just enough to complement the defense.
The challenge only gets steeper when you look at Ohio States wide receiver talent, which can force Iowa to defend every inch of the field. Still, this is the kind of game where the Hawkeyes can hang around if the right names show up at the right time, and the real question is whether those players can turn possibility into something more against one of the countrys toughest teams. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Still Has One Big Problem Heading Into Ohio State
Iowas offense has spent much of the first month of the season trying to find traction on the ground, and the issues have shown up most clearly against the tougher fronts on the schedule. The Hawkeyes have not had their top two running backs on the field together much this year because of injury, which has left the rotation unsettled and made it harder to establish the kind of run game Iowa usually leans on.
Ohio State comes in as a different kind of test, even if its defense has given up plenty of rushing yards in recent games. That opens the door a bit for Iowa, but it also puts the focus right back on the Hawkeyes biggest question: whether the backs can finally get healthy and give the offense the balance it has been missing. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa DBs Face Their Biggest Stage Yet At Ohio State
A trip to Ohio State has a way of turning every snap into a test, and for Iowas defensive backs it arrives with a spotlight that can reshape a seasons worth of perception. Deshaun Lee, Tony Diaz and Zach Lutmer are set to be central figures in how the Hawkeyes handle one of the Big Tens most demanding receiving groups, with Jeremiah Smith standing out as the kind of matchup that can expose mistakes and reward discipline in the same breath.
For Iowa, this is about more than surviving the game plan. If those young defensive backs hold up against the Buckeyes, it gives the Hawkeyes a better chance to keep the field manageable for the rest of the defense and stay in position on the offensive side of the ball. If they struggle, the pressure on Iowas whole operation rises quickly, which is why this stage feels bigger than a single Saturday in Columbus. [Read more 🡒]